Most comparisons on this blog are easy to write because the other tool is aimed at somebody else. AppTweak sells to agencies. Sensor Tower sells to investors. Astro only speaks iOS.
AppDrift is not that. It calls itself "the AI-powered App Store Optimization platform for indie developers and growing studios", it covers both stores, it has a free plan, and its entry price is $9.99 a month. That is our price and our audience, almost to the digit.
So this comparison comes down to a narrower question than usual: at the same price, what do you actually get?
TL;DR
Both are $9.99/month with a free plan. AppDrift's $9.99 stops at 50 keywords and 5 apps. Applyra's $9.99 has no ceiling on keywords, apps or competitors.
Start tracking your keywords for free →
The short answer
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Cheaper of the two | Neither, both are $9.99/month with a free plan |
| More keywords for that $9.99 | Applyra, no cap, against 50 on AppDrift |
| More apps for that $9.99 | Applyra, no cap, against 5 on AppDrift |
| Competitor rank tracking included | Applyra, from the free plan. AppDrift starts it at $39.99/month |
| AI suggestions without a monthly allowance | Applyra. AppDrift meters its AI in tokens |
| Screenshot generator | AppDrift. Applyra does not have one |
The quick verdict
Same price, different ceiling. AppDrift's $9.99 plan tracks 50 keywords across 5 apps. Applyra's $9.99 plan does not cap keywords, apps or competitors.
If your ASO question is "which terms should I be winning, and am I winning them", the ceiling is the whole story, and it decides this in about ten seconds.
AppDrift also ships a screenshot generator, which we do not. If that is what you are shopping for, skip to the last section.
50
AppDrift keywords at $9.99
∞
Applyra keywords at $9.99
$0
Both, to start
Pricing, in plain numbers
AppDrift sells four public tiers plus an enterprise plan. Applyra sells one.
| Applyra | AppDrift | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Permanent, no card | Permanent, no card |
| Entry price | $9.99/month | $9.99/month (Basic) |
| Annual | $99.99/year | $99/year |
| Apps at entry | Unlimited | 5 |
| Keywords at entry | Unlimited | 50 |
| Next tier up | Not needed | $19.99 (Pro), 500 keywords |
| Third tier | Not needed | $39.99 (Studio), 1,500 keywords |
On the annual plan AppDrift is 99 cents cheaper over a year. That is the whole price gap, and it is not the interesting part.
The interesting part is the row in bold. Both plans cost $9.99. One of them stops at 50 keywords.
What AppDrift has that we do not
A screenshot generator. That is the honest gap: AppDrift ships an in-browser editor with device templates, Applyra has nothing comparable, and if that is what you came shopping for, no amount of keyword tracking substitutes.
The rest of what the subscription bundles, metadata translation, store publishing, A/B testing, review management, is listed in the feature table below. Whether it counts as value depends on whether you would open it in a given month. A bundle is only cheap when you use it, and it is the same $9.99 either way.
The honest summary
Buy AppDrift if you specifically want a screenshot generator. Buy Applyra if you want to track keywords, apps and competitors without hitting a ceiling at 50, which is where AppDrift's $9.99 plan stops.
Where Applyra pulls ahead
The keyword ceiling, which is the whole argument
AppDrift's $9.99 plan gives you 50 keyword slots. Applyra's $9.99 plan does not have a keyword limit at all.
Fifty sounds like plenty until you actually do the work. A single app in a single country burns through fifty slots quickly once you track your brand terms, your category terms, the long tail you are testing and the terms your competitors rank for. Add a second country and you are choosing what to stop watching.
On AppDrift, the fix is Pro at $19.99 for 500 slots. On Applyra, there is no fix needed, because there is nothing to raise.
Competitor rank tracking without moving up two tiers
AppDrift's own ASO tools page lists competitor rank tracking under the Studio plan at $39.99 a month. Applyra includes one tracked competitor on the free plan and an unlimited number at $9.99.
Watching a rival's positions is not a power-user feature. It is how you find out that the keyword you just won was one they abandoned.
No token accounting
AppDrift meters its AI features with tokens: 50 a month free, 500 on Basic, 3,000 on Pro. Daily ranking updates are free of tokens, which is fair to say plainly, but metadata generation, translation and manual refreshes all draw down the same monthly balance.
Applyra has no token system. AI suggestions on the paid plan are not counted against a budget, so you are never deciding whether a question is worth spending on.
Full ranking history
Applyra keeps your complete ranking history on the paid plan, and seven days on the free one. AppDrift does not publish a retention figure on its pricing or keyword tracking pages. If long-run trend data matters to you, ask them before you commit.
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Feature by feature
| Feature | Applyra | AppDrift |
|---|---|---|
| App Store (iOS) support | ||
| Google Play support | ||
| Permanent free plan | ||
| Entry price | $9.99/mo | $9.99/mo |
| Tracked keywords at entry price | Unlimited | 50 |
| Apps at entry price | Unlimited | 5 |
| Daily rank tracking | ||
| Keyword difficulty scoring | ||
| Competitor rank tracking at entry price | ||
| Full ranking history | Not published | |
| AI metadata suggestions | Unmetered | Token-metered |
| MCP server for AI clients | ||
| REST API | 10,000 req/mo | |
| Screenshot generator | ||
| One-click store publishing | ||
| Review management |
When AppDrift is the better fit
You need screenshots and you do not want to design them. That is the clear case, and if it is yours, pay AppDrift the $9.99: we do not sell a screenshot editor and are not going to pretend otherwise.
The weaker case is the bundle. If you would genuinely use the translation and publishing features every month, having them on the same bill has value. If you would use them twice a year, you are paying the same $9.99 as our plan and getting a 50-keyword ceiling with it.
When Applyra is the better fit
You track more than fifty keywords, or you will within a month. You run more than five apps. You want to watch competitors' positions without reaching a $39.99 tier. You want AI suggestions you are not rationing against a token balance. You care about ranking history over quarters, not weeks.
That is most developers whose main ASO question is still "which words should I be winning, and am I winning them".
Running both
Both free plans cost nothing and need no card, so the cheapest way to settle this is to stop reading and run them side by side for a fortnight. Add the same app to each, track the same keywords, and see which dashboard you actually open on a Monday morning.
That is also the honest answer if you want a screenshot editor and unlimited keyword tracking: nothing stops you keeping AppDrift's free tier for the editor and paying us for the tracking.
Getting started
Add your app, pick the keywords you think you should rank for, and let the tracker run for a week. If the picture is useful, $9.99 keeps it running with no ceiling on what you watch. If it is not, nothing expires and nobody charges you.
Start tracking your keywords for free →
If you are still shortlisting, the best ASO tools for indie developers guide ranks twelve tools with prices checked at the source, the cheapest ASO tools ranks the field on cost alone, and the best free ASO tools covers what you can do without paying anyone.
AppDrift pricing and plan contents verified on appdrift.co on 19 August 2026: free plan, Basic $9.99/month or $99/year, Pro $19.99/month, Studio $39.99/month with competitor rank tracking, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee and a $19 Launch Pack rising to $29 on 1 October. Applyra pricing verified against our own plan configuration on the same date. Both vendors change prices; re-check before quoting.
Frequently asked questions
How much does AppDrift cost compared to Applyra?
Both start at $9.99 per month. AppDrift's Basic plan is $9.99 monthly or $99 a year, and covers 5 apps and 50 keyword slots. Applyra is $9.99 monthly or $99.99 a year, with unlimited apps and unlimited tracked keywords. AppDrift's Pro plan at $19.99 raises the ceiling to 20 apps and 500 keywords, and Studio at $39.99 reaches 1,500 keywords.
Does AppDrift have a free plan?
Yes. AppDrift's free tier covers one app, five tracked keywords and 50 AI tokens a month, with no card required. Applyra's free plan covers one app, five keywords and one tracked competitor, also with no card. The difference on the free tier is competitor tracking, which AppDrift does not include at any price below $39.99 a month.
Is AppDrift or Applyra better for an indie developer?
For keyword work, Applyra: the $9.99 plan tracks an unlimited number of keywords, apps and competitors and keeps full ranking history, where AppDrift's $9.99 plan stops at 50 keywords and 5 apps. AppDrift is the better pick if what you actually need is a screenshot generator, which Applyra does not have.
What are AppDrift's AI tokens and does Applyra have them?
AppDrift meters its AI features with tokens: 50 per month on the free plan, 500 on Basic, 3,000 on Pro. Tokens are spent on AI metadata generation, translation, review responses and manual rank refreshes. Daily ranking updates do not cost tokens. Applyra has no token system, so AI metadata suggestions are not metered on the paid plan.
Does AppDrift track competitors?
AppDrift lists competitor rank tracking on its Studio plan at $39.99 per month, and offers side-by-side competitor metadata comparison more broadly. Applyra includes one tracked competitor on the free plan and an unlimited number on the $9.99 plan.
Can I connect AppDrift or Applyra to Claude or Cursor?
Both publish an MCP server, so an AI assistant can query your ASO data directly. AppDrift's MCP exposes five tools including keyword difficulty, live ranks and its weekly action plan, on paid plans. Applyra publishes an MCP server plus a REST API with 10,000 requests per month on the paid plan.
Can I switch from AppDrift to Applyra?
Yes. Applyra's free plan needs no card, so you can add an app and start tracking in a few minutes. Ranking history does not transfer between tools, so run them side by side for a couple of weeks before deciding. Nothing stops you keeping AppDrift's free tier for its screenshot editor while paying Applyra for the tracking.
Ready to optimize your app?
Start tracking keywords and improving your app visibility on both stores - free, no credit card required.
